


You Said You Loved Me

by tokillaladybug



Series: AU Yeah August 2018 [7]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: AU Yeah AUgust (Miraculous Ladybug), Akumatized Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Role Reversal, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Chat Noir!Marinette, F/M, Identity Reveal, Kwami Swap, Ladybug!Adrien, Role Reversal, kwami swap au, very minor season two spoilers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-08
Updated: 2019-01-16
Packaged: 2019-06-24 01:43:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,657
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15619731
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tokillaladybug/pseuds/tokillaladybug
Summary: Today's the day Marinette will tell Adrien she likes him.  Unfortunately, miscommunication abounds.But when identities are revealed, emotions run high and Paris finds itself under a new threat.“I’m sorry, Marinette.  I didn’t want to find out this way either.  But we can figure this out.  I never meant to hurt you.”“Never meant – you said you loved me!”  She shouted into the air, her gaze hardened and she clenched her fists at her sides.  “How could you love me if you turned me down?  How could you love me if you made me feel this way?”Does not have to be read in order with the other AU Yeah August stories in this series.AU Yeah August Day 8: Kwami Swap.





	1. Today's The Day

**Author's Note:**

> AU Yeah August Day 8: Kwami Swap

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry

“Plagg, today’s the day.” Marinette stood in front of her bedroom mirror, admiring the new outfit she’d worked so hard to put together. Her pink, embroidered skirt swished this way and that as she looked herself over from all angles. The layers of white underskirts gave a lot of volume and made her waist look smaller by comparison. 

“The day for what?” Plagg yawned widely and floated into the large pocket in the front of Marinette’s skirt. 

Marinette reached into her pocket and scratched the top of Plagg’s head. “I told you. Today’s the day I tell Adrien I like him. It’s been long enough. If I don’t say something now then I should just give up and move on.” She adjusted her hair, smoothing down the stray strands. 

“I don’t understand what the big deal is. So he’s a pretty boy, so what? Ladybug is pretty too and you don’t go all goo goo over him. Why do you need to say something today?”

“I just do, okay? I just hope he’ll say yes, but it’s okay if not. Even if he doesn’t like me now, I need to know. I can’t put it off anymore.” She slipped on her shoes and grabbed her school bag, a hop in her step that wasn’t there earlier. 

“Sure okay, yeah. Just don’t get your hopes too high, kitten.”

“I won’t! I know it’ll work out no matter what.”

“Oooh, can we grab an extra cheese danish before we leave? And one of those mini quiches, too!”

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Marinette made her way to campus with butterflies in her stomach and her shoulders held high. Whatever happened today, despite any heartbreak, she’d feel accomplished. And in her core, she felt that it would be okay. Alya was convinced Adrien would like her too, and Alya was almost never wrong – well, except for her ideas about Ladybug and Chat Noire’s identities, but those had some magical barriers in the way. Speaking of Alya - 

“Girl, you look so good! He won’t know what’s hit him!” Alya came up behind Marinette on the way to their classroom. 

Marinette smiled wide and did a twirl, sending her skirts flaring out. “I spent nearly a month on it, so I should hope so.” She linked her arm with Alya’s and giggled. 

“I’m glad you’re in a good mood. I was worried you’d be a nervous wreck.”

“Whatever happens, even if it hurts, I’m sure it’s for the best.” As they entered the classroom, Marinette dropped her volume to just above a whisper. “But, I really hope it goes well.”

The two settled into their seats, and Alya picked up a conversation with Adrien and Nino in the row in front of them. Marinette listened casually, but her focus was mostly internal. She watched Adrien as he talked and wondered what it would be like to have that attention on her without her stutter and shyness. 

Hopefully, all those nervous reactions go away after today. 

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Marinette’s day actually flew by much more than she would have thought. Her daydreams and planning occupied her mind and distracted her from more than a few lectures, but Alya would help her out later. What mattered now was catching Adrien’s attention before he left campus and hopefully not stumbling over herself too much in the process.

As the class started packing up their things for the day, Alya jumped into a conversation with Nino and led him out of the classroom without Adrien. The rest of the class slowly filed out, and just as Adrien was about to leave, Marinette called out, “Wait, Adrien? Do you think I could, that is, if it’s not too much trouble…?” She trailed off and took a deep breath. Adrien had stopped and turned back to her, waiting patiently as everyone else left the room. “I’d like to talk to you.”

Adrien smiled at her, “Yeah sure, Marinette. Let me just-” He typed something quickly on his phone before slipping it back into his pocket. 

Patiently, Adrien waited in silence as Marinette led him to one of her favorite corners of campus. She didn’t speak, trying to go over what she wanted to say in her head, but the whole hypothetical conversation was a jumbled mess. They sat on a stone bench near a small patch of grass and flowers. Marinette curled the hem of her new skirt between her fingers, making sure to avoid squishing Plagg in her pocket. 

“I thought – I thought I knew what I wanted to say, but, uh, now the words are all confused in my head. Um. Oh, I don’t know. I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay, Marinette. You can take your time.” He looked at her with concern. “Are you okay? No one’s hurting you?”

“Oh, no!” She looked up with wide eyes. “No, no, no, no, no. Nothing like that. I just, well. It’s difficult to say.” The sky shone bright blue, not a cloud in sight. Marinette hoped it was a good sign. “Adrien, I-” She felt her throat close. What if he didn’t take it well? What if he hated her?

Adrien leaned towards her, “Yes, Marinette?”

His eyes were so beautifully green, she could stare at them all day. She hoped she would be allowed the chance. Okay, you can do this Marinette. “I – I like you, Adrien. Like, like a lot. I really just, well, I need you to know. I needed to tell you. But, uh, I also hoped that maybe you… Maybe you like me… too.” She couldn’t look him in the eyes anymore. She stared at her hands, spinning her silver ring around and around on her finger. 

“Marinette, I-” She felt him lean back and breathe deeply. “I think you’re really special, Marinette. I’ve loved getting to know you this past year.” 

Marinette let the pause linger as Adrien thought of what to say. In her heart, she felt where this was going, but she hoped that maybe she was wrong. Maybe she didn’t know what he was about to say. Maybe he just wanted to say it carefully, instead of rushing in. 

“I don’t think of you like that, Marinette. You’re a really good friend, but I’ve never considered anything more.”

Her voice was impossibly small. “Do you think, um, maybe you could try?” Oh, why did she say that? She’d told herself to not push, to accept what he said at face value. 

“I’m sorry. I'm in love with someone else. I don’t think it would be fair to you even if I could try.”

Her hands squeezed her skirt. She tried to breathe deeply, but she found it difficult. Watching the floor, she said, shakily, “Who?” Before Adrien could say, she interrupted, “No, never mind. I can’t – I shouldn’t ask you that. You don’t need to tell me.” 

Adrien leaned to put an arm around her shoulders, “Marinette, I’m really sorry.”

She abruptly stood up and away from his arms. Plastering on her best smile, she turned to look at him. “It’s okay, Adrien. I – I understand. Really, really, I do.” She made sure to make eye contact. He looked so concerned, she hated that she made him look like that. In her strongest voice, one she usually channels as Chat Noire in her most difficult situations, she said, “I appreciate our friendship, Adrien. Very much. I’m sorry if I’ve made you uncomfortable, that was never my intention. I’m sure you understand that I’d like to go home now, but I’ll see you in class tomorrow.” 

She watched his expression change, quite likely because that was the clearest she’d spoken to him since they’d met. Before he could respond, she turned in a billowing cloud of skirts and walked purposefully – not ran, she wasn’t running away – out from their secluded area and towards the main exit. 

Once around the corner, she sent a quick text to Alya and started her walk home. The sun continued to shine brightly on her the whole way there. 

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Marinette made it all the way home and to her room before she started crying. She’d managed to tell her mother that she was tired and was going to take a nap. Hopefully, it didn’t cause any suspicion, but at the moment she wasn’t the most aware person. Her tears came slowly, and her eyes stared ahead blankly as she tried to organize her thoughts. Marinette flopped face first onto her chaise, not even removing her shoes. 

“Ow!” Plagg squeezed himself out from under her. “Kitten, listen. I know you’re upset, but can you not suffocate me?” He pulled a danish from the box on her desk and fit it all in his mouth in one bite. 

“Sorry, Plagg.” Her voice was muffled because of the cushion. 

Swallowing loudly, he said, “It’s fine.” He flew towards her face. “It’ll be okay, Marinette. What happened to all that ‘I just need to know’ business?”

“I did.” Marinette’s phone beeped three times in quick succession, followed by a pause and then two more texts. She rolled over on her chaise and unlocked her phone, responding and dropping it onto the floor next to her. “Doesn’t mean I’m not allowed to be sad.”

Plagg settled himself onto her chest and purred as loud as he could while she cried. And cry she did, until she finally fell asleep. Plagg continued to purr as the hours went by and the sunlight faded from the sky. There wasn’t much else he could do.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

When Marinette woke, the sky outside was dark and the sounds from below in the bakery were gone. She sat up and rubbed her puffy eyes, feeling like she was covered in a thin layer of grime. It made her skin itch. She sat up and untied her shoes, toeing them off and pushing them under her chaise. Her skirt was wrinkled and in need of a wash, maybe she’d have another chance to wear it and make better memories?

Her phone flashed with the blue colored notification light – probably more texts from Alya. She hadn’t been happy when Marinette texted her what happened, ranting about how she would change his mind. Marinette knew she meant well, but it wasn’t what she wanted to hear right now. 

She looked to Plagg, asleep on her desk and surrounded by pastry crumbs. She was thankful for his care. He doesn’t show it very often, but she knows he tried. 

After noticing how late it was, Marinette decided it would be best to shower and get ready for patrol. She wouldn’t want to keep Ladybug waiting. 

On her way to her bathroom, her socked toes bumped into a plate resting on her floor next to her trap door entrance. The pate was wrapped in plastic with a note attached from her mother asking her to eat when she woke up, and to take tomorrow off from school if she felt like she was getting sick. She unwrapped the plastic and pulled a mouthful out with her fingers, barely chewing before setting the plate back down. 

The scalding water of the shower made her feel more awake, and even though she was still upset, she hoped that now she’d get through patrol okay. 

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Not twenty minutes later, Marinette was vaulting herself across the roofs of Paris to their usual meeting spot. She enjoyed the exertion. It took her mind off of Adrien for a short while. And while it didn’t last long, she appreciated it all the same. She really hoped to move on from all this soon. It was probably for the best now anyway. 

She really hoped that she’d had enough time to put her personal thoughts aside. But when she arrived, Ladybug took one look at her face and pulled her into a tight hug. “Oh KitKat, what happened?”

Marinette shook her head and pressed it harder into Ladybug’s shoulder. She begged herself not to cry, even as the emotions welled back up in her chest. After a few minutes of the two standing there in the cold, Ladybug led them to a wall that gave them reprieve from the cold. He sat down and pulled Marinette into his lap. 

“If you want to talk about it, I’m here for you, Chat Noire. You’re my partner and I love you, I want to see you happy.” He shifted her weight until the two were both in a more comfortable position. One arm pulled her into his chest, and his other hand rubbed circles on her calf where it leaned. 

After what felt like quite a long time, she was able to slow her breathing and push back the tears. She said, “I’m sorry Ladybug. I thought I’d be okay for patrol.”

“Don’t worry about it, it’s a quiet night anyway. Paris will be fine for one night.” He rested his head back against the stone wall. “Did you want to talk about what’s going on?”

“I don’t know. We shouldn’t talk about our personal lives.”

“Well, why don’t you just leave out any of the details that might be too obvious?”

She took a deep breath and chewed on her lip. “It’s so silly, getting so worked up. I thought I’d prepared myself but I obviously hadn’t.” Her words were stilted as she picked her way through them, but Ladybug didn’t interrupt. “There’s this guy at school. I’ve liked him for a long time now and I tried to tell him. I knew that he might not like me back, but my friend was so sure he did. I just needed to know, I thought I could handle it if he said no. But then he did, and I didn’t know what to do with myself. It hurts so much more than I thought it would.” She sniffed loudly and took another deep breath, trying to keep the tears away. 

“And I’d put so much time and thought into it, I even made a whole new outfit – hand embroidered and everything.” Her volume increased as she started to get worked up, but she didn’t care. “And he likes someone else. Who? His best friend told me he didn’t talk about anyone. Never a word. Yet now he says he loves her? Was he trying to just give an excuse? Was he lying to save my feelings?” 

She laughed, in a choked and bitter kind of way. It was short and clipped, piercing the silent air.

“I bet he just couldn’t stand the thought of me. All my stuttering and clumsy mistakes, What was I thinking? Adrien Agreste would never like me. Me? Pathetic.” She shrugged out of Ladybug’s arms, jumping up to pace across the rooftop.

“Oh, Kit,” Ladybug said. Marinette hadn’t noticed his changing expression, as it had now become more pained and regretful. 

“I keep telling myself to be strong, but I can’t. I do that every day, out here with you. Why should I be strong now too? Why can't I just be normal? Like a guy, go on dates, make mistakes, cry?” Her tears started to flow down her face, and as she turned back to Ladybug and saw his face, she realized all she’d said. 

“I’m so sorry. If I’d have known… If I-” Ladybug hopped to his feet and walked towards her. “Maybe I would have, could have-”

“Yeah, take pity on the poor girl with a crush on the famous model. I don’t need it, Ladybug. I’ve already said too much.” She curled her arms around herself and watched the floor, her boots scuffing the cement. The gravelly texture left little streaks of grey in the leather. 

He brought his hands to her shoulders, unsuccessfully trying to catch her eyes. “I love you, Chat Noire. If I’d known it was you, I would’ve said. I didn’t know. I was in love with you, that’s who was the other person, Marinette.”

Her eyes snapped up, wide. “You…” She threw his hands off her shoulder, taking two steps back away from him. “No, no way.”

“I’m sorry, Marinette. I didn’t want to find out this way either. But we can figure this out. I never meant to hurt you.”

“Never meant – you said you loved me!” She shouted into the air, her gaze hardened and she clenched her fists at her sides. “How could you love me if you turned me down? How could you love me if you made me feel this way?”

“I didn’t-”

“Save it. I don’t care. Love? You never loved me. It’s all just words. I don’t want to hear them. If you loved me you would have known it was me. I took a chance, I tried to be realistic. I just wanted to see if it could be something and you threw it in my face.” She pulled her baton from her belt and squeezed. “Don’t follow me.”

Marinette vaulted on her baton across the rooftops, not paying attention to where she was going. Away. Get away. She could barely see through her tears and her hands shook more with each passing rooftop. 

Eventually, the ring on her finger beeped its first warning. Plagg must be tired.

She stopped atop a roof she didn’t recognize and paced. She wanted to try and sort out her thoughts, but all she felt was a jumble of anger and betrayal. Nothing made sense, and it was all his fault. Adrien. Ladybug. What a way to find out about that. The pounding in her ears grew as she paced and paced. Who does he think he is, loving her? What a joke. 

Another wave of anger welled up through her. She wanted revenge, she wanted him to regret, she wanted him to feel the way she felt. She wanted him to hurt. 

Her vision clouded in her anger, the world felt further from her the more she thought. Her inner voice grew louder and louder in her ears, blocking out all other sounds. It repeated all of her frustrations until it was all she could think, could understand. Finally, a quiet clarity took over her. 

“Hello, Chat Blanche. I have a proposition for you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All aboard the angst train! I'm so sorry


	2. Apologize

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some very minor season 2 spoilers. LIkely you won't even notice if you don't know what to look for. Read at your own risk.  
> Also please check out the new tags. Now that I'm almost done writing it is more accurate for the story as a whole.

Adrien Agreste woke the next morning after a fitful night of sleep. His eyes felt sticky and heavy. His shoulders pinched themselves into knots. The only thing keeping him level-headed was the calm reassurance and encouragement from Tikki. She’d spent most of the night on his pillow, talking to him when his thoughts began to spiral. 

He made his way onto campus early, hoping to catch Marinette before class. He wanted to talk to her once she’d gotten the chance to cool off, but she’d disappeared after their argument last night. The problem was, he’d hopelessly watched her walk into the girl’s restroom with Alya nearly 20 minutes before class started, and she hadn’t come out yet. He leaned against a wall near their classroom, in sight of the restroom door, and waited. And waited. And waited. His eyes glazed over after a while, and his thoughts turned inward again – a repetition of last night. 

“Whoa dude, you look about ready to punch someone. You alright?” Nino leaned his shoulder against the wall next to Adrien. 

Adrien jolted and nearly dropped his bag off his shoulder. “Huh? Oh sorry. I was just thinking,” he said as he slid his eyes back to the restroom door.

“Whatever it is, it’s got you messed up. Do I need to talk to someone? Is it your old man again?”

“No, no, nothing like that.” Adrien gave Nino a small smile. “I think might be able to convince him to let us hang out this weekend actually.” He puffed out a breath and rubbed at the short hairs along the nape of his neck. After a moment, he said, “it’s just – I was stupid. I said some things I didn’t mean and I hurt Marinette. I want to apologize, but she’s been with Alya in the restroom all morning. I think she’s avoiding me.” Adrien hoped that was vague enough to not get him into trouble later. He didn’t want to lie to Nino, but walking the secret identity tightrope could be tricky. 

Nino patted him on the shoulder, “I’m sure it’ll work out, dude. This is Marinette we’re talking about. She’ll come around.” He pulled his phone out of his pocket for a moment. Adrien assumed he was texting Alya but he didn’t ask. 

“Yeah, you’re right. I’ll get a chance later.” 

“Come on, class is about to start. They’ll come out when they’re ready.”

Adrien breathed a sigh of relief when Nino didn’t press for any more information. The boys shuffled into their seats seconds before the bell rang. The rest of the class chatted away as normal, even Chloe was thankfully busy talking to Sabrina about something. Adrien forced himself to remain tight-lipped when the girls slid through the door just as the final echo of the bell faded. Marinette kept her eyes forward and above his head, while Alya actively glared at him the whole way. 

Great. 

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Adrien spent the whole morning trying to sneak glances at Marinette behind him to no avail. Marinette’s gaze stayed firmly placed above his head, for all the world looking intently focused on Mme. Bustier’s lecture – though Alya’s expression hardened with each glance. After the fourth time, Mme. Bustier chastised him for not paying attention and Adrien forced himself to tune into the lecture again. Nino merely shrugged when Adrien gave him a pointed glance. 

The minute the bell rang, signaling the beginning of lunch, Adrien turned around in his seat. Placing his hands on the edge of Marinette’s desk, he said, “Marinette, I-”

“Nino, would you mind going out to lunch together? I’d like to talk to you a minute. My treat!” Marinette spoke without any acknowledgment of Adrien, instead leaning over the corner of Alya’s desk to put herself closer to Nino and smiling warmly. 

Nino glanced between Marinette and Adrien before shrugging. “Sure, free food sounds great.” 

Adrien nodded at Nino and tried to give him an encouraging smile. 

Marinette and Nino shuffled out of the room side-by-side, not speaking until they were out of earshot. Adrien could only hope that Nino would tell him about this talk. He slowly packed up his belongings, peeking in his bag at a sleeping Tikki. The classroom slowly emptied out, and Adrien didn’t realize he wasn’t alone until he spotted a pair of black shoes impatiently waiting next to him. Alya stood with her arms crossed and her foot tapping. 

“Um, hi?” Adrien quirked an eyebrow at her.

“You messed up, Sunshine.” 

“I know,” he puffed out a sigh. “You don’t have to remind me.”

“Well, I’m going to do it anyway. You need to leave Mari alone. She doesn’t need you around right now, making it worse.” 

“I can’t do that Alya. I need to talk to her.”

Alya pushed her glasses up her nose and leaned forward against the desks, boxing Adrien into his seat with her arms. “No. You need to leave her alone. As her best friend, I need to protect her. I made a mistake in thinking you would be good for her, so now I’m making it right.”

“I need to make it right!” Adrien jutted his chin out in defiance. 

“It’s too late for that. Leave her be. Give her time and maybe you can apologize when she’s had the chance to start healing.”

“You don’t know the whole story. You can’t make that choice for her.”

“I don’t need to, she’s like family to me and I need to protect her. End of discussion.” Alya shifted her weight back and crossed her arms again.

Adrien stood up into the newly available space. “Alya it’s not up to you! I know you care for her, but so do I! I need to fix this.” He yanked his bag over his shoulder and rubbed his hands across his face. “I have to do something.”

Alya gave half a smirk and shrugged. “Fine, but you wait until she comes to you. I’ll step back if you don’t corner her. She takes her time, as much as she needs. I can’t make her choices for her, but neither can you.” She held out her hand, “deal?”

“Alya, that’s not-” He let out a frustrated sigh and took her hand. “Fine, deal.”

After dropping his hand, she turned and marched out without preamble. She paused in the doorway and said, “I’m watching you, Sunshine. Don’t mess up again.”

After she left, Adrien dropped back into his seat with a thud, thankful that no one was there to see him. 

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

He sat there for quite a long time, spending the rest of the lunch period with his eyes glazed and his thoughts internal. How can he sit around and wait for Marinette to come to him? She’s completely ignoring him like he doesn’t exist. What if she never wants to speak to him again? What if he lost his chance? 

Tikki floated out of his bag and hugged his cheek. “It’ll be okay Adrien. You’ll work things out.”

“I feel so stupid Tikki. She’s my best friend and I pushed her away.”

“You made a mistake Adrien, but so did she. You don’t need to rush into anything, Marinette isn’t going anywhere right now. You have time to fix this, once you both have some space apart to think things over.”

Adrien was confused and sat back to look at Tikki directly. “What do you mean she made a mistake? I’m the one who pushed Marinette away because I was blinded by Chat Noire.”

“And she pushed away Ladybug because she was blinded by Adrien.”

“But-” 

“No buts. Either way, you both had two friends and made a choice to put one over the other. And either way, you’re still friends and partners first before anything else. You’ll get that back soon.”

“I hope so, Tikki. I hope so.” He pulled out the crinkling package of macarons he picked up at the corner market last night on the way home from patrol. “Here, you should have something to eat.” They may not be as good as something fresh made, but they work in a pinch and he can pay for them with his pocket money. He often wished that he could ask the home chef to make something for Tikki, but his father would never allow that many sweets in his diet. It’s not like he could say that they weren’t for him. 

Tikki picked a macaron out of the package and zipped back into Adrien’s bag, munching away. She smiled at him through a mouthful of crumbs. 

Just at that moment, Adrien heard quiet footsteps approaching the room and muffled voices growing louder. Glancing at the clock on the wall, he noticed lunch was nearly over. The time had slipped away somehow. He hung his head and slowly pulled out all of his supplies, setting up for class to start again. In his peripheral vision, he saw the rest of the students filter back into the room. 

Nino, Alya, and Marinette all made their way into the room, with Alya and Marinette chatting away about something with the Lady blog – it seems Alya has a few new fan theories to post about. Nino seemed distracted. He was staring intently at his phone and didn’t see Adrien as he walked to his seat. Alya glanced at Adrien pointedly as she walked in front of his desk and Marinette had turned away before he could attempt to catch her eye, not that he thought it would work anyway.

Adrien stuck his hand out to greet Nino, “Hey man,” but Nino brushed past him unnoticing and sat down. 

Adrien tried again, bumping their shoulders together. “How was lunch?”

Nino shrugged, still not looking up and mumbled, “Fine, I’m tired though. Can we talk later?”

“Uh, sure, yeah. Sorry. I hope you feel better soon.” Adrien pursed his lips. Why would Nino be so different from this morning? What happened at lunch? Hoping to help, he said, “I’ll poke you if you fall asleep.”

Nino gave him a small smile before focusing back on his phone. 

“Adrikins!” Adrien felt Chloe hug onto him from behind, surprising him. She practically sat in his lap as she pushed her way next to him onto the seat. Grabbing onto his arm, she excitedly said, “We’re going shopping tonight, right Adi? Mother says that satin is in and matte is out, so I need to replace four of my pairs of shoes.”

Adrien tried to peel Chloe’s fingers off his arm one by one. “Sorry, Chlo. I have a shoot this afternoon. I can’t go shopping with you.”

“Ridiculous! You’re always busy Adi. Maybe I can get Daddy to ban photoshoots? That would make things better.”

“That’s not exactly practical, Chloe. And I don’t think my father would like that very much.” Adrien laughed, “I appreciate the thought though. We’ll hang out soon.”

“Ugh, fine. You better be free this weekend. We could both use a facial, and my manicure is so last Thursday.”

“I don’t know about this weekend, but I’ll try to-”

“Chloe you should really stop that.” Marinette’s voice butted into the conversation from behind them. 

Adrien was startled, to say the least. “Marinette?”

Chloe huffed indignantly, “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Marinette.”

“Yes you do, Chloe.” There was a strange gleam in Marinette’s eyes. “Don’t you think that a friend would make more of an effort to spend time with you? Would make time for you?”

“My Adrikins makes time for me, more than anyone else! I’m his oldest friend.” Chloe shifted away from Adrien so she could turn herself to face Marinette, though her gaze stayed firmly on her manicured nails. 

“It’s what you deserve, isn’t it?”

“I always get the best!”

“I just think you could think about priorities – yours and those around you.”

“Ugh, what does that even mean? Why are you so weird? Whatever.” Chloe turned her attention back to Adrien, “Where were we, Adi?”

Adrien shook himself and stopped staring at Marinette – who had now turned back to Alya as if the whole exchange never happened. He said, “facials?”

“Right, right,” Chloe said. “Well if you change your mind, call me.” She gave his arm one last squeeze and moved over to her seat next to Sabrina just as the teacher walked in and collected everyone’s attention. 

After that, Adrien spent the entire afternoon trying – and failing – to pay attention to his lessons. His notebooks remained pathetically blank and he was reprimanded more than once for daydreaming. Except he wasn’t exactly daydreaming – not entirely. It was more like he was going through cycle after cycle of anxious thoughts followed by restless energy followed by internal reprimanding followed by anxious thoughts… for hours. 

He needed to do something, but he promised Alya he would wait, and if he did do something he could make things worse, but he couldn’t sit and do nothing. He’d nearly turned around and made a scene a dozen times – the only thing keeping him was his white-knuckled grip on the edge of the table. He sank down into the seat further and further, attempting to remove himself from her line of sight.

By the end of the day, Adrien had practically melted into a puddle in his seat, though his hands and feet were braced tensely against different parts of the desk. 

Maybe if he actually melted away, this would all go away?

With his luck, his father would find a way to turn it into a photo shoot.

Adrien was unprepared for the final bell to ring, and he jumped at the sound. Everyone had already halfway packed with their things, even as the professor finished her concluding remarks, and Adrien’s not sure how he missed all the paper shuffling and zipper sounds. Nino was one of the first to dash out of the room, which made Adrien frown. He’d been hoping to talk.

By the time Adrien had finished packing up, it seemed as though the whole room had cleared out, though he admittedly didn’t look very hard. 

So, of course, that wasn’t the case. As he was halfway across the room, his whole body and mind came to a screeching halt with one word.

“Agreste.” Marinette’s voice came commandingly from behind him. 

Adrien slowly turned around to face her, slipping his hands into his pockets so they wouldn’t give his nervousness away. He couldn’t help the hint of a bite to his voice. “Oh, I exist now, Marinette?”

Her face darkened when he said her name. She walked towards him and stopped in front of him with her hands crossed. After a moment she gave him half a smile. She reached out and cupped his cheek, which for all the world he couldn’t resist leaning into, even as upset as he was. “The bug’s got a bit of a sting, huh?”

“Just like the kitten has claws.” He looked into her eyes, hoping upon hope that he wouldn’t muck up his chances further. “KitKat, I’m sorry, I-”

“Nope.”

Adrien frowned. “What do you mean, ‘Nope’?”

“Nope.” She pulled her hand away. “You don’t get to apologize.”

“Does that mean you forgive me?” 

“Nope.”

“What do you mean?” His hands tightened in his pockets. 

Marinette laughed, loud and clipped short. It was different from her usual laugh and it made him uncomfortable. “You’ll see, Agreste. You’ll see.”

She tried to move past him, but his hand caught her arm. He said, “You can’t say something like that and walk away. I know you’re mad Marinette, but we need to talk this through.” He glanced down and, for the first time, he noticed the ring on her finger – it’s shiny and black, just like when she’s transformed into Chat Noire. Interesting; he would have thought it would be different. His earrings change color when not transformed. 

Her mouth pressed into a thin line. Looking from his face to her hand and back, she said, “You can’t stop me.” She yanked her arm from his grip and glared at him. 

She marched herself out the door without looking back while Adrien stood in the classroom alone, frozen with shock and disbelief.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo, sorry that took over 2 months - such is the university life. I'm actively working on chapter 3 at the moment though, and I'm hopeful it will take me less time to get that to you than this did (I pretty much took the entirety of September as a writing break after AU August was over). Let me know what you think? I love talking to you all in the comments! I know it's just an angsty and confusing mess of a chapter, but I promise that was intentional. I'm setting up a foundation for a lot of pay off in the next chapter or two.


	3. One By One

After spending a quiet car ride home, stewing in his frustration, Adrien marched himself directly to his room to shower and change. He kicked off his shoes, sending them thumping against the wall satisfactorily. Knowing he didn’t have much time to get ready for his shoot this afternoon, he quickly multitasked and condensed his shower routine; stripping his shirt as he turned the shower knob, running a brush through his hair as he stripped off his jeans, and forgoing his 2nd conditioner and his exfoliation. 

Though it was short-lived, the hot water of the shower helped him relax his knotted shoulders and gave his mind a moment of peace to think. By the time he had finished dressing and drying his hair, his mind was clearer, and his frustration had faded to concern. 

“Tikki?” 

Tikki flew out of her spot in his bag, a half-eaten macaron still in her hands. “Yes, Adrien?”

“I can’t imagine Marinette acting that way, even if she’s mad at me. It’s so unlike her. What do you think?” He picked up his shoes from where they’d landed and sat on the edge of the bed to put them on. 

She landed on his knee and popped the last of her macaron into her mouth. She chewed slowly as she thought of her words, swallowing before speaking. “People can do extreme things when they’re angry. She’s always had a little bit of a temper. You know how she usually is with Chloe.”

“I know, but that’s part of it. She defended Chloe from me today - for no reason, really. Don’t you think that’s a little strange?”

She hummed in thought. “You do have a point.”

“Do you think…?” He rubbed a hand roughly through his hair. “Could she be an Akuma?”

Tikki’s eyes went wide. “I’ve never seen an Akuma so normal before, Adrien. What would even be her power?”

“I don’t know.” With a huff, he flopped back onto the bed. “Maybe I’m reading too much into it. Nino and Alya have been weird too. They’re probably all just frustrated with me and with the situation.” 

“Possibly. But you should trust your gut, Adrien. You know yourself better than anyone. And you know Chat Noire better than anyone else too.” 

A firm series of knocks sounded through the bedroom door. “Adrien,” Nathalie’s voice called through the door. 

“Coming, Nathalie! I’m nearly ready.” He jumped up and motioned Tikki into his bag. He smoothed out his hair quickly and glanced at his reflection in one of his large bedroom windows. After deciding he looked well enough – the stylists would fix him up how they wanted at the shoot itself – he reached for the door. However, it opened before he touched it, nearly ramming into him. He jumped back and came face to face with a stone-faced Nathalie. 

Not looking up from her tablet, she said, “Your shoot has been canceled tonight.”

“What, why?”

“The client decided to go in a different artistic direction. She requested Monsieur Vole instead. She wanted a different look for the advertisement.

“How is Bren any different? We both have blond hair and green eyes. He’s not even that much taller than me.”

“I didn’t ask. Enjoy your evening.” Nathalie turned on her heel and walked out the door without pause, letting the door swing closed behind herself. 

“Wait, Nathalie?” Adrien’s words fell on deaf ears. The quiet click of the shut door was the only response. 

He opened his bag and looked in at Tikki. Frowning, he said, “That was cold, even for Nathalie.”

Tikki shrugged. “I don’t know Adrien, she always seems like that to me.” Tikki’s eyes grew wide and she smiled. “You have the night off! Why don’t you hang out with one of your friends? It’s not every day you get the opportunity.”

“Yeah, maybe you’re right. I haven’t gone out in a while. I wonder if Nino wants to see a movie or something.”

“Call him!” Tikki zipped up between his eyes, nearly shaking with excitement

Adrien laughed, “Okay, okay. I’ll call him.” 

He pulled out his phone and his eyes went wide at the list of notifications. His public Instagram and Twitter pages often have a few dozen notifications each day, but now he’s got hundreds in just a few hours. Was there a recently launched ad? It’s a bit difficult to keep track of all the release dates of his shoots. He resolved to check it out later. 

Nino picked the phone up after the fourth ring. “Hey.”

“Hey, Nino! My shoot was actually just canceled and I thought we could hang out if you’re available.”

“Oh. I don’t know, Adrien. Now isn’t really the best time.” His voice was soft. 

Adrien sat down on the edge of his bed. “What’s going on?”

There was a pause. “I’m just working on some stuff.”

“I’m up for anything! Even if it’s just working on that history assignment. I could really use the distraction.”

“Sorry, dude. It’s just not a good time. I’ll text you later, okay?”

“Uh, sure. Okay. I’ll see you tomorrow.” He bit his lip. “Nino, are-”

_Click. _Adrien pulled his phone from his ear in time to see the ended call screen before his screen turned black. Nino must not have heard him. He glanced up at Tikki, whose face was pinched with concern. “He’s busy right now.”__

Tikka put on a smile. “That’s okay, Adrien. Why don’t you try Chloe instead? She’d love to spend time with you too.”

Adrien lay back onto the bed again. He usually did enjoy himself with Chloe when they were outside of school. She was usually less clingy and she could read him like an open book. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to risk her prying into whatever is happening right now with Marinette, but it had also been a long while since he’s spent time with her like they used to. “Yeah, okay. You’re right, Tikki. It’s been a long time.”

Chloe picked up before the first ring ended. “What is it, Adrien?”

“Hey Chlo, so it turns out that photoshoot was canceled.”

“Was it now?”

Adrien smiled. “You didn’t have anything to do with that, did you?”

“No of course not, don’t be ridiculous. You asked me not to.” Her voice pulled away from the phone for a moment and Adrien could hear her talking to someone else. “Did you need something from me, Adrien?”

“Well, I was wondering if you still wanted to go shopping like you asked earlier.”

“Sorry, I’m already in the middle of it. I’ll be home by the time you’d get here.”

His smile fell. “Oh, okay. Well, I could come over anyway, and we can use some of those peel-off face masks you like so much. The ones with the gold leaf?”

“Another time, Adrien. I’ve got my evening full up. I’ll see you in class tomorrow though.”

“Okay, uh, yeah. See you tomorrow, Chlo.”

“Ciao.” _Click. ___

He set his phone face down onto his bed next to him. Tikki floated down and settled on his chest. After a moment, he picked his phone up and sent a quick text to Alya, asking if she’d be willing to give him advice about Marinette. She was usually glued to her phone, so he hoped he’d get a response soon.

While he waited, Adrien forced himself to get up from his place on the bed and over to his computer desk. He pulled up his Twitter page to more easily check his notifications rather than on his phone. If a new product launched, he’s want to make a public response endorsing it.

What he found was not what he expected.

“#AdrienDéteste? What the hell?”

Tikki floated over to land on his shoulder. “What is it, Adrien?”

“@adrienagreste is overrated #AdrienDéteste. @adrienagreste is a 2-bit model who only got his way because his daddy pays for it #AdrienDéteste. I can’t think of a good thing @adrienagreste has ever done in his life #AdrienDéteste. @adrienagreste is a waste of space #AdrienDéteste. Ever seen a more selfish, entitled, and vapid person than @adrienagreste? Me neither #AdrienDéteste. @adrienagreste is a heartbreaking asshole who needs to learn a thing or two #AdrienDéteste. Hey! That last one is from Alya!”

“Well, now you know why she didn’t text you back. Why is this happening, Adrien?” Tikka rested one of her hands against his cheek as she peered at the screen.

“I don’t know. #AdrienDéteste is on the trending list, but I don’t know what I did. Some of these are from my biggest fan accounts.” He opened up his Instagram and found similar comments all over his recent photos, as well as another hashtag. He rubbed his hand across his face.

Tikki asked, “Maybe this is because of an Akuma?”

Adrien sat back and swiveled his chair away from his desk. “You think Marinette did this?”

“Maybe? Why else would something like this come up so suddenly?”

“You’re probably right. She was acting really strange earlier. If she’s an Akuma I need to go find her.”

Tikki hugged his cheek. “It’s okay to take a breath. It’s not easy to read things like that.”

He thought for a moment. “I know. I need to find her though, I can work through those emotions later.”

Tikki watched him skeptically but didn’t say anything.

After a moment, he asked, “Ready?” When she nodded, he said, “Spots on.”

_____ _

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Adrien wandered across Paris in an attempt to find Marinette. He passed the Dupain-Cheng bakery as they were closing, but she wasn’t in the shop nor on her balcony, and the lights were off through the house. She didn’t answer when he knocked, and she’d attached a lock to the trapdoor of her balcony. He went by Alya’s, but she was alone in her room, typing furiously on her laptop without noticing him at the window. By the time he reached the school campus, it was deserted save for a couple of professors staying late. He checked all of their favorite places to spend time together, but all of those were empty too.

She wasn’t anywhere to be found across Paris, on the ground or across the roofs.

He eventually stopped to think, choosing to sit down on the edge of a rooftop viewing one of the many billboards that featured his face. He may not have found her, but she’s left her evidence. The billboard was scratched until his face was unrecognizable.

He decided to wait for her, watching the setting sun fall behind the billboard. No matter how much she wanted to avoid him, if she was an Akuma, she’d seek him out soon. She always did have a quick wit and a reactionary way of things. In many ways it worked out well for her, being able to taunt Akumas and keep one step ahead of them, but in this case, Adrien decided to try to use it against her.

Luck was on his side – as always – and she arrived not long after he sat down.

“Are you looking for me?” Marinette’s voice surprised him from the rooftop behind him, but he refrained from showing it.

Adrien turned his body around slowly and cocked an eyebrow. She didn’t look any different than when she left him behind in class that afternoon. He slowly rose to his feet and asked, “What are you doing here?”

“I could ask you the same thing, Ladybug.”

“You know why I’m here. I can’t let you stay like this.” He paused and forced a teasing smile onto his face. “Although, I am wondering why you look like this. From you, I would have expected a little more creativity.”

“You don’t know anything.” Her face grew dark and her gaze turned vacant. “Oh calm down, you’ll get what you want later.” She paused, listening for a moment before replying, “I will not leave Adrien alone, he’s a part of this too. Let me get what I want, then you’ll get your jewels.”

With her attention elsewhere, Adrien watched her kwami wiggle his way out of her pocket and zip towards him. Though Adrien had never met Plagg directly, he had heard some stories.  
Plagg floated right in front of his face and said, “Ladybug, you can’t let her stay like this. She’s going to-!”

“SILENCE!” Marinette bellowed. Plagg’s mouth snapped shut mid-sentence. She continued, “I’m sorry, Plagg, but I can’t let you go ruining this for me.” Her attention focused on Adrien. “So I’m not exactly what you expected, well that’s okay. I had hoped it would take a little longer for you to catch on, but you’ve always been a quick learner. Maybe, you’d prefer me like this? Claws Out.”

Plagg was pulled into her black ring as her transformation took hold. Her suit surrounded her in stark white and her blue eyes turned red behind her mask. She pulled her baton from behind her back, lengthened it, and leaned against the top. She smirked at Adrien.

“What do you want, Chat Noire?” Adrien tried to retain his relaxed pose. He wanted to wait before acting, to see just how much the Akuma has powered her.

“It’s Chat Blanche now, actually. What do you think?” She tapped her bell, though it was silent. “I know black is classic, but I think the white is a bit more fun, don’t you?”

Adrien repeated himself with a slightly more forceful edge to his voice. “What do you want, Chat _Blanche _?”__

Her eyes narrowed. “I want you to feel what I feel.”

“Well, you’ve done that. Everyone hates me, and my friends are ignoring me. You obviously don’t want to take my miraculous, because you would have done that already, so why don’t you just give me the Akuma?”

Marinette laughed, loud and harshly. “Oh, no, no, no, little Bug. I’m just getting started.”

Adrien pulled his yoyo from his hip. “I don’t want to fight you.”

“I’m counting on it.” She used her baton to launch herself backward and onto the next rooftop.

Adrien tossed his yoyo at her, but his hesitation caused it to just miss her ankle and come swinging back to him. By the time he was able to toss it again, she was two rooftops away and moving fast.

Adrien chased her across the rooftops of Paris for hours, just barely keeping up with her. She knew that he was faster than her on two feet, so she led him on a route that had as little running as possible, instead, choosing to use her baton to propel her everywhere. Her baton made her more agile than him, letting her cut between narrow alleys and over larger building in a way that his yoyo was limited because each toss had to swing him in a wider arc. The only way he kept up for so long was because her blinding white suit reflected in ways that her black suit would have blended in. He could just barely keep her in his sights.

After some time, he followed her as she dipped into another alleyway, but she never came out the other side. When he stopped to investigate, she was nowhere to be found. Though he tried finding her nearby and later searched all of the places he thought she might go to stay for the night, he could not find her. She had vanished and obviously wanted it that way. 

____

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

It was well after midnight when he finally decided to go home for the night. She obviously wanted to be alone and was planning on avoiding him until she decides otherwise. He sneaks back into his room through his window and quietly retransforms and changes into his pajamas. Tikki placed a kiss on his forehead and zipped over to her drawer in his room to sleep for the night.

Just as he sat down on the edge of his bed, a series of sharp knocks raps on his door. Without prompting, Nathalie entered his room. Her face was as neutral as ever.

“Nathalie? What is it?”

“Adrien, your father is disappointed in your choice to sneak out and return home at this hour. You were given an opportunity to spend some time on your school work and you chose to disobey and leave without requesting permission beforehand.”

“But-”

“Your father has scheduled a meeting tomorrow, after your classes, to discuss this. In addition, you are grounded for the foreseeable future, and he has hired someone to seal your windows from the outside. Your bodyguard will be with you at all times away from home until further notice.”

“That’s not-”

She turned on her heel. “I will be back at 6 to collect you for breakfast, please don’t be late.” She shut the door behind herself.

Adrien groaned and flopped back onto his bed. He rubbed his hands across his face. While he knew that it was likely Nathalie’s sharp tone was enhanced by Marinette’s Akuma, in many ways that still sounded like a likely reaction from his father regardless. He’ll have to deal with these consequences despite cleansing her Akuma.

He opened his phone again and waded through his notifications, hoping to piece out anything that wasn’t total hate, but nothing came of it. He even found Alya’s new LadyBlog post entitled “Ladybug: Paris’ Savior or Tyrannical Vigilante?” He chose not to read it.

After tossing his phone onto his bed next to him, he clicked off the light and attempted to get as much sleep as possible. His mind was full of butterflies and blinding white masks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you think is going to happen next? Next part should be the last one, so we're ramping up to the end. And what do you think of Marinette's akumatization? Is she compelling? Interesting? Too OOC? Let me know, please! I always want to know how I can improve with my writing.
> 
> Also, please forgive the cheesy hashtag, it was the best I could come up with.


End file.
